Sample System Configuration

File Server

Base Software

Network Hardware

Other Software

NAS Device [Backups]

Printers

Primary Workstations

Other Workstations

Application Servers

Notes (2005)  Notes (2008)  Notes (2009)

File Server

  • CPU: Dual Intel Xeon (or equivalent) (3.0 – 3.6 GHz) as of 9/2005 [Note, Faster CPU's are available]

  • ** NOTE: a Single, Dual Core Xeon is also appropriate.**

  • Hard Disk: Three or more drives for striping with parity [Raid Level 5]

  • Type: Ultra 320 SCSI SCA 15Krpm

  • Size: Using three 73GB or larger drives, delivers 146GB of storage; figure 1 megabyte (MB) per 100 claims plus 500 megabytes for system use

  • SCSI: High performance controller with hardware based raid; cache for improved performance

  • RAM: 2GB - 4GB [Or more!] 

Base Software

OS:   ** Note: Check with your System Provider for OS preference.

  • Windows 2003 Server for Industry Compatibility

  • or Novell NetWare 6.5+ for fastest speed and greatest reliability

  • Backup: Should be Server, NAS based and Internet

  • Type: Digital

  • Size: Should be larger than hard disk

  • Windows Server 2008: Note: Please make certain to fully patch this version of Windows, as there are important data integrity issues with SMB and the official release of the product.
     

Network Hardware

  • Cards: 10/100/1000 Ethernet Cards. [Remember to use Cat 6 cables for your servers.]

  • Hubs: Do not use hubs for your networking.

  • Switch: 10/100/1000 – A good Layer 3 switch will significantly improve your network performance and reliability. Your office is not too small to require a switch. 

Other Software

  • Corel WordPerfect 9/10/11/12/X3/X4

  • Microsoft Excel/Office 2003/Office 2007

  • XP for Windows/Windows Vista/Windows 7

NAS Device [Backups]

  • CPU: Intel Xeon (or equivalent) (3.0 – 3.6 GHz) as of 9/2005

  • Hard Disk: Three or more drives for striping with parity [Raid Level 5]

  • Type: Use serial ATA for higher storage capacity.

  • Size: 400GB SATA Drives (x 3 or more)

  • RAM: 1GB - 2GB [Or more!]

  • OS: Microsoft Windows 2003 Storage Server or Linux

  • Backup: As this device is intended to be used for backups, backup software and a tape backup for offsite storage is appropriate.

Printers

  • HP 4000/8000 Series Laser Printers

  • HP Jet Direct network cards for all networked laser printers

  • One narrow carriage dot matrix for labels

  • One local HP Laser for check printing

Primary Workstations This description is for the "power users" in the office.

  • CPU: Intel Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology (or better) (2.8 – 3.6GHz) as of 9/2005

  • RAM: 512MB to 1GB; opt for the higher amount if doing large merges of 2000-plus documents

  • Monitor: 17,19+ LCD Monitor with a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 [Note: Dual Monitors may provide additional flexibility]

  • OS: Windows XP Professional

  • Client: Microsoft Client for NetWare networks with MS NDS Services

Other Workstations This description is for the "normal users" on the staff who perform routine tasks.

  • CPU: Intel Pentium Celeron Processor or better) (2.6 – 3.6GHz) as of 8/2005

  • RAM: 512MB to 1GB; opt for the higher amount if more than two applications are used most of the time

  • Monitor: 17- to 19+ inch monitors with a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 recommended for best display area

  • OS: WINDOWS XP Professional; if necessary, Windows 2000 Professional

  • Client: Microsoft Client for NetWare networks with MS NDS Services

Other Servers (Application Servers

  • Computer that host other server based applications, also called "services," such as Enterprise PIM,fax, e-mail, Internet or Terminal Services

  • CPU: Dual Intel Xeon (or equivalent) (3.0 – 3.6 GHz) as of 9/2005

  • Hard Disk: Size and performance is determined by software that will occupy disk

  • SCSI: Optional but recommended for alternate server

  • RAM: 2GB to 4GB; opt for the higher amount if several services are used

  • OS: Microsoft Windows 2003 Server  is a very reliable application server

  • Backup: This backup can be included with the main server/NAS backup or done on its own; if the service server's backup is performed on the server itself, additional backup equipment is necessary.

  • Type: Should be server based and digital

  • Size: Should be larger than hard disk

Additional Notes (2005)

  • We do recommend replacing systems every 3-4 years.

  • Windows 2000 Server has proven to be an acceptable environment, many of our users have successfully used this version of the server software.

  • Novell Netware 3.x & 4.x are 13+ years old now. It is time to move forward to 6.5+

  • Novell Netware 5.x is 5+ years old. Plan on upgrading soon.

  • Microsoft Windows 98, ME, and Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition are designed for home use, and should not be used in an office or professional environment.

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional are both recommended for use on workstations.

  • Memory is directly related to performance, more memory improves a workstation's performance. Upgrading to 512MB or more of memory greatly improves a workstations performance.

  • CPU Speed is also very important. Pentium 4GHz Workstations are available. 2GHz and 3GHz workstations have become very affordable.

  • NOTE: This sample system meets our minimum hardware requirements. Please contact your system consultant for current "state of the art" solutions.

Additional Notes (2008)

  • Windows 2000 Server is a legacy operating system. There are serious security and data integrity concerns with running this as your filer server, it is time to move forward to Windows 2003 Server.

  • Windows 2003 Server is a responsible platform. This should be used for remote access and may be reliably used as a File and Print server (Instead of Novell).

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional is still the preferred OS for the office environment.

  • Collection-Master is fully compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista Professional. (Many other programs are not.) CLS still recommends using XP over Vista for the business environment.

  • When running multiple applications, memory is very important. 1GB is a minimum guideline, but with lower memory costs, 2GB or even 4GB are a better choice. (WordPerfect will use large amounts of memory for 4000+ document mail merges.) Collection-Master still works fine with 512MB of memory, but other Windows applications need more.

  • CPU speed is still very important. To add some confusion, Intel has “changed” their clock speeds. A Pentium “D” Processor 3.6GHZ CPU (still available today) is many times slower than a newer Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (3 GHZ).

  • Core 2 Duo Processors (3GHZ) are recommended for Power Workstations (Core 2 Quad or Extreme Processors will improve file to ImageMaster performance.)

  • Collection-Master 7.0 introduced an object-oriented proportional font display. Due to the nature of these fonts, a larger wide screen monitor is desirable. A 19”+ widescreen display will greatly improve the experience. 22” wide screen displays have also become affordable and should be considered.

Additional Notes (2009)

  • Server: Novell Netware 6.5 or MS Windows 2003 Server.

  • Workstation: Windows XP – 32 bit or Windows 7 – 32 bit

  • Collection-Master is fully compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista Professional. (Many other programs are not.) CLS still recommends using XP over Vista for the business environment.

Versions that may be used, that deserve special attention:
 
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